Although tavern trivia nights made some inroads in the United States in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the resurgence of programs like "Jeopardy!" and the rise of online trivia contests have really helped fuel the trend.
Bill Leisenring, who opened Tecumseh Tavern last November alongside his son and partner, Jack, said he decided to remain open on Monday since there are so many downtown businesses that close that day. He soon discovered the reason they do. "It was pretty slow," he said.
He looked around at ways to boost his receipts and decided to introduce a trivia night. He sought out DJ Trivia, a Jackson-based host who brings quizzes to the Tavern on Monday nights. There are some 10-12 teams that play two rounds of trivia. "My Mondays are more consistent," Leisenring said. "I've seen probably a 20 percent increase in revenue and it's gone over well with our customers."
Danielle Matthews is the Monday night bartender and she agrees. "We are pretty full," she said. "We have a margarita special, too, that has been popular. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves."
Tecumseh Brewing Company (TBC) has hosted regular trivia nights for the last five years. According to manager Jen Mendez, the TBC events are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with two rounds each night. Gift card prizes are awarded for first- and second-place teams.
"We have Sporcle Tuesday nights," she said. "Then, on Thursdays, we have Sporcle OpinioNation, which is kind of like a Family Feud format. We have regular trivia players who come in for both, with 6-8 teams each night."
Stephen Mitchell, a long-time trivia maven, thinks the programs are great ways to test knowledge, have fun, and meet new people. He was a Sporcle host at Aubree's and Chomp in Adrian and at TBC a few years ago. The programs at Aubree's and Chomp are no longer running. "Sporcle is a portmanteau of sports and oracle," Mitchell explained. "But it's all kinds of trivia."
The Sporcle format is designed around a betting system, where teams wager points based on their knowledge and the likelihood they will have a correct answer. Mitchell said he enjoys the player role these days. "Hosting is fun, but I prefer being a player. The host has to manage music, keep the game moving along by watching the time and giving warnings such as how many minutes are left, and use discretion at times to accept close enough answers," he said.
Other area taverns that run trivia games include Aeronautique Winery and Blue Skies Brewery near Brooklyn, Four Keys Brewing and Starling Lounge in Blissfield, Johnnie's Bar & Grill in Clinton, Tecumseh Brewing Co. in Tecumseh, and Farver's in Adrian, among others. Music Bingo also is emerging as a new trend for trivia nights. Patrons receive a bingo card with song titles, and as the clues are played by the host, they mark off the titles. The first player to complete a row, column, or diagonal wins the round.
Mitchell holds a master's degree in communication and worked in a number of academic roles at the college level prior to becoming the Recipient Rights Officer for Lenawee Community Mental Health. While a formal education doesn't hurt a person's chances of success at trivia, Mitchell said he doesn't think it helps any more than a general sense of curiosity. In fact, he said, "being curious" is an excellent trait for success at trivia. "Questions that are more academic usually call back to high school history or science or geography," he explained. "And that's a sliver of the overall content when you consider all the sports and pop culture types of questions."
Jim and Michelle Spence of Adrian are regulars at the Tecumseh Tavern trivia nights and also have played at Farver's and in Blissfield. They often team up with a couple of other players, including Mitchell and Crosby.
"Whenever you have Stephen on your team, you have a powerhouse," Jim Spence commented. Having teammates that you can talk with about an answer, well that is a good quality to have in a teammate. It helps to all be on the same wavelength." The different locations all have different vibes, he explained. "The Tecumseh Tavern has a local vibe and there are a lot of regulars there," he said.
Trivia events are offered on different nights, which means a hardcore enthusiast can play almost every night around the county. "We've been over to Mammoth Distillery in Adrian, too," he said. "It's really a good way to get to know other local people you might not meet any other way."
Spence is a philosophy professor at Adrian College, and Michelle, who has a bachelor's degree in fine arts, is employed by Lenawee Now. The pair enjoy the competition, but, as Spence said, "It's really more British Bakeoff than Survivor. You get to know locals in each community and it changes the environment," he said. "The staff are playful, the atmosphere competitive, but lighthearted and fun."
"Trivia events are just great ways to play games together, hang out with friends, and meet new people," Michelle said. "We really enjoy it.